Nuclear Infrastructure · Novarka
A 36,200-tonne nuclear containment structure remotely skidded 330 metres into its final position using a bespoke 116-shoe hydraulic skidding system.
Following five years of engineering, fabrication and assembly, the New Safe Confinement reached its defining milestone—the final movement over Reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Weighing 36,200 tonnes and measuring 260 metres wide, 165 metres long and 110 metres high, the completed arch had to be transported 330 metres from its assembly area to its permanent location without compromising structural integrity or nuclear safety.
The operation represented the culmination of one of the most complex engineered transport projects ever undertaken. Every movement had to be executed with exceptional precision while operating within the strict safety requirements of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
To accomplish the move, Mammoet engineered a bespoke hydraulic skidding system comprising 116 synchronized skid shoes, grouped to distribute loads of up to 44,000 tonnes generated by the inclined skid tracks required to maintain the arch’s stability throughout the movement. Each skid shoe was continuously monitored using pressure sensors, stroke measurement, and position monitoring, with all data processed through dedicated control software to ensure perfectly synchronized movement. The fully remote-controlled system enabled the arch to slide smoothly into its final position, establishing a new benchmark for engineered heavy transport and completing one of the most iconic infrastructure projects in modern engineering history.
Successfully completed the 330-metre remote-controlled skidding of the world's largest land-based movable structure, safely positioning the New Safe Confinement over Reactor No. 4.
Engineered and executed the synchronized lifting of the 15,500-tonne New Safe Confinement arch using 56 strand jacks, custom lifting towers and bespoke control systems during the construction of Chernobyl's landmark nuclear containment structure.
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